Velocipede



(No Model.)

J. A. HOLMES.

VELOOIPEDE.

Patented Mar. 3,

' UNITE STATES PATE T OFFICE.

JOHN A. HOLMES, OF MIIAVAUKEE, ISOONSIN.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,542, dated March 3,1891.

Application filed December 13, 1890. Serial No. 374,570. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. HOLMES, a citi- /.en of the United States,and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in theState of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Bicycles and Analogous Vehicles; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction andcombination of parts to be hereinafter described, with reference to theaccompanying drawings, and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of aport-ion ofahicycle constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view,partly in horizontal section, on line 2 2 of the preceding figure; Fig.3, a detail view in front elevation and transverse section; and Fig. 4,a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A represents the front fork of abicycle, and pivoted to each furcation of this fork at or near the lowerend of the same is a hanger B for the front axle (J, the constructionthus far described being well known in the art to which my inventionrelates.

As is also usual in the art, each furcation of the fork A is providedwith a laterally-extended foot-rest for the rider when coasting with thevehicle, the foot-rest in this instance being one that consists of aheaded rod D,

. having its inner end screw-threaded and passed through the adjacentfork-furcation to engage a clamping-nut E, and a corrugated rubbersleeve F, arranged on the rod inside of the'head of the latter.Ordinarily, the rubber sleeve F fills the entire space between therod-head and outer side of the adjacent fork-furcation; but in thepresent instance I I prefer to make said sleeve shorter than usual andinterpose a casting G between it and said fork-furcation, this castingbeing a plate provided with an opening for engagement with the rod D,and having inwardly-extended ears I) 0 above and below the opening, asis clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and &.

Slipped onto the rod D to rest upon the lower ear 0 of the casting G isthe upper loop (Z of a spring H, and'the lower loop 6 of this springengages the axle O, and is held thereon by means of a nut f, as clearlyillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

In order to obtain the mostsatisfactory results I prefer to make thespring H in the form of a compound curve and of a rod so bent as to formtwo such curves, one within the other, the ends of the spring-rod beingunited by welding or otherwise, to thus produce a device of the formabove described, and clearly illustrated in Fig. 1.

The upper ear I) of the casting G engages the adjacent loop d of thespring H, and when pressure comes on and off this spring the latter andsaid casting are free to oscillate on the rod D of the foot-rest.

By the employment of springs constructed and arranged as set forth inthe foregoing the wheel (shown by the dotted lines, Fig. 1) is held downto its work, and the vibration that would otherwise come upon thesteeringfork and handle-bar of the vehicleis absorbed.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is

1. In a bicycle or analogous vehicle, the combination of a fork,axle-hangers pivoted to the furcations thereof, and an endless springconnected to each fork-furcation and opposed to pivotal movement of theadjacent hanger, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bicycle or analogous vehicle, the combination of a fork,axle-hangers pivoted to the furcations thereof, and endless springshaving their upper extremities connected to the fork-furcations andtheir lower extremities connected to the axle, substantially as setforth.

3. In a bicycle or analogous vehicle, the combination of a fork,axle-hangers pivoted to the furcations thereof, and endless springsconnected to the fork-f u rcations and arranged to oppose pivotalmovement of the hangers, each spring consisting of a rod bent to formtwo curves, one within the other, and united at its ends, substantiallyas set forth.

4. In a bicycle or analogous vehicle, the combination of a fork havingthe furcations thereof provided with laterally-extended supports, platesarranged on the rod and provided with ears, axle-hangers pivotallyconnected to the fork-furcations, and springs having their upperextremities engaging said supports between the plate-ears and theirlower extremities arranged to oppose pivotal movement of said hangers,substantially as set forth.

5. In a bicycle or analogous vehicle, the combination of a fork havingthe furcations thereof provided with laterally-extended supports, platesarranged on the rods and provided with ears, axle-hangers pivotallyconnected to the fork-furcations, and endless springs having their upperextremities engaging said supports between the plate-ears and theirlower ends arranged to oppose pivotal movement of said hangers,substantially as set forth.

6. In a bicycle or analogous vehicle, the

combination of a fork having the furcations In testimony that I claimthe foregoing l have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in the countyof Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. HOLMES.

Witnesses:

N. E. OLIPI-IANT, A. L. PETTICOLAS.

